Financial technology (also referred to as FinTech) is the use of innovative technology to deliver a wide range of financial products and services. It is intended to facilitate the multi-channel, convenient and fast payment experience for the consumer. This type of technology is effective in many different business segments, such as mobile payments, investment management, money transfer, fund-raising and lending.

The rapid growth of financial technology has been very beneficial for consumers worldwide, such as the ability to serve customers that were not previously attended to, a reduction in costs, and an increase in competition.

Let’s take a look at a few of the benefits related to financial technology:

Better payment systems – this type of technology can make a business more accurate and efficient at issuing invoices and collecting payment. Also, the more professional service will help to improve customer relations which can increase the likelihood of them returning as a repeat buyer.

Rate of approval – many small business ventures are starting to use the alternative lenders like those involved in financial technology because it has the potential to increase accessibility and speed up the rate of approval for finance. In many situations the application process and time to receive the capital can be completed within a period of 24 hours.

Greater convenience – the companies involved in financial technology make full use of mobile connectivity. This can significantly increase the number of people who can access this type of service and also increase the efficiency and convenience of transactions. With consumers given the option to use smartphones and tablets to manage their finances, it is possible for a business to streamline its service and provide a better all-round customer experience.

Efficient advice – many of the latest systems rely on robo-advice to give people guidance on their finances. This can be a very quick and low-cost option to get useful information on investments, as well as to limit a person’s exposure to risk. However, this type of service won’t be able to give the most in-depth advice that would come from a professional adviser.

Advanced security – Using the latest security methods is necessary to ensure more people are confident in using this type of financial service. The need to harness the latest mobile technologies has resulted in a major investment in security to ensure customer data is kept safe. A few of the latest security options used by those in this sector include biometric data, tokenization and encryption.

NBCFs and Banks both act as financial intermediaries and offer fairly similar services. But, there are many points of difference. There are very stringent licensing regulations for banks as compared to NBFCs.

What is an NBFC?
Principal business activities of a Non- Banking Financial Company consist of lending or financial leasing or hire purchase, accepting deposit or acquisition of shares, stocks, bonds, etc. To initiate any business they are required to acquire a license from RBI and they are regulated by RBI.

Based on Liability, NBFC can be Deposit-taking or Non-deposit taking. NBFC can be of following categories:

Loan Company
Asset Finance Company
Investment Company

What is a Bank?
Banks perform activities like granting credit, demand deposits and provide withdrawals, interest payment, cheque clearing and other general utility services to their customers.

They dominate the financial sector of the country and provide a link as a financial intermediary between borrowers and depositors.

Key Differences between NBFC and Bank
Now that we have separately analyzed the activities undertaken by both these institutions, let us analyze how NBFCs and banks differ in nature and their functionalities.

NBFC is first incorporated as a company under the Indian Companies Act, 1956 and then apply for NBFC license from RBI, on the other hand bank is registered under Banking Regulation Act, 1949.
Banks are government authorized financial intermediary which are chartered to receive deposits and grant credit to the public. However, NBFC is a company that provides banking services to smaller sections of the society without holding a bank license.
Banks are authorized to accept demand deposits, but NBFCs are not authorized to accept deposits which are repayable on demand.
As NBFCs are established as companies under Companies Act, 2013 they are allowed to accept up to 100% foreign investments. But, banks are can only accept foreign investments up to 74% of their total amount.
Like a bank, NBFCs do not form an integral part of payment and settlement cycle in the country.
RBI mandates the maintenance of reserve ratios like CRR or SLR by banks. NBFC have no such obligation.
Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation (DICGC) provide deposit insurance facility to the depositors of banks. Such facility is unavailable in the case of NBFC.
NBFC is not involved in credit creation like banks do for their customers.
Banks provide services like overdraft facility, the issue of travellers cheque, transfer of funds, etc. Such services are not provided by NBFC.
NBFCs are not allowed to issue cheques drawn on itself like banks can.

Nearly everyone nowadays has a patio of some sort. We all love the look of the new patio furniture that the manufacturers offer. The only problem that we may have with it is the price. Patio furniture can be just as expensive as regular furniture. The best way to purchase patio furniture is through a patio furniture clearance sale.

Yes, retailers do offer clearance sales on their furniture and you can save hundreds by purchasing furniture that is on clearance. The best time to find these sales is usually after summer is over because most retailers do not have the extra room to store large pieces of furniture like this.

You can find just about any piece of patio that you can think of in a clearance sale every once in a while. From tables and chairs to lounges and end tables made from wicker or metal, you will be able to find it. Clearance sales offer you a great deal on the latest brands, styles, and furniture.

You do not have to wait to find these clearance sales at your local retailers. You can even find patio furniture clearance sales on the Internet. You will find a wide range of different websites that offer sales like these. This is a great way to locate the exact piece of furniture that you want at a great price.

Just perform a search through your browser for the keywords “patio furniture clearance” and a ton of results will show up. Even though there are many sites that offer sales, you may want to search through all of your options before making any final decisions. Look until you find a website that offers a better deal than another. We all want to get the best possible price on anything that we purchase, so shopping around and comparing prices is the way to do it.

You will be able to view pictures of all of the furniture that they have available for clearance sale purchase. You will be able to view a detailed summary of the product, as well as the dimensions and anything else that you will need to know. In some cases, you will be able to view care instructions. No matter how much money you spend on your new furniture, you will want to make sure that you know how to take care of it properly so that it will last you for years to come.

Patio furniture clearance sales can even be found year-round on the Internet, unlike at your local retailer. Most of the time, in instances like this, the furniture is stored in a warehouse and shipped directly from there; however, they may be trying to clear room in the warehouse for next year’s arrivals. Either way, the savings will be passed on to you.

Save money with purchasing your outdoor furniture on clearance. Make sure that you wait to purchase your patio furniture on clearance at a patio clearance sale.

If you’ve ever tried to get the patio furnishings of your dreams during the short spring and summer selling season, then you know how hard it can be. The pickings at your neighborhood store can be downright slim. And even if you do find the perfect piece, it can cost you an arm and a leg.

However, there is a better way to get a deal while still getting top quality furniture: the patio furniture clearance sale.

The best ones are online and many furniture sellers offer nice discounts on fashionable, top quality furnishings that may be just what you’re looking for.

Yes, the words “patio furniture clearance” can strike fear in the hearts of many a homeowner. Thoughts of poor quality, scratch and dent pieces come to mind – furniture you wouldn’t be caught owning, let alone relaxing in.

But “patio furniture clearance” doesn’t have the same meaning when you’re shopping for quality furniture. Rather, it could simply mean the seller had an overstock of a particular piece or style or they may have to make room for new furnishings.

If you’re interested in shopping patio furniture clearance sales, you’ll want to consider both in-store and online sales. If you live in a location with seasonal sales, you’ll want to start shopping for a sale in July. By August everything will be gone as retailers enter the holiday shopping season. All the patio furniture clearance items have to make way for Halloween and Christmas.

Online is another matter. No matter what the season, there always seems to be a sale going on somewhere. Entering the keywords “patio furniture clearance” is a great way to start your online search. You can also enter phrases like “patio furniture sale” or “patio furniture discount”. It may take a few tries to find exactly what you’re looking for.

And what will you find? While you can always find an assortment of your run of the mill plastic chairs and tables, you can also find gorgeous pieces that will turn your deck or balcony into a showcase of style, beauty and comfort.

One of the great things about online patio furniture listings is that you can shop by style, material or color. In other words, you can find matching teak pieces quickly and easily, including many accent pieces that you wouldn’t normally find, even in a well-stocked outdoor furnishing store.

For example, you may find a lovely sofa and loveseat set as well as a matching storage chest and even a trash receptacle in matching teak. Many times these furnishings come from nationally known manufacturers, not a low-end exporter.

Best of all, they come with an attractive price tag. In contrast to the height of summer where you will pay top dollar for your purchases, patio furniture clearance sales may mark down that same item anywhere from 10% to 50% or even more.

When shopping for clearances, pay particular attention to the shipping and handling fees. Some online retailers tack on shipping, which can reduce your savings. Try to find those who offer free shipping or really reduced rates. They are out there. You just need to do your homework.

Finding patio furniture clearance sales is relatively straightforward and can even be an adventure. By investing just a little time and effort, you can find top quality items at very competitive prices, often without leaving the comfort of your own home. Not only do you end up with some gorgeous furniture in the process, but you also can save quite a bit of money, enough to spring for a nice cookout with friends and family so you can all enjoy your smart buys.

New college graduates are on the loose and out building their new work wardrobes for their first job. Are you a proud parent and grandparent? In addition to celebrating with them over parties and gifts, now is the time to give them the gift of financial independence too. As they start their first jobs, you might ask yourself, “Is my child prepared for the financial responsibility that comes with a full-time job and living on their own?” Right from the start, you want them to develop savings priorities and healthy spending habits. Here are some tips to help you point them in the right direction:

Explain the importance of saving

As young adults start receiving a paycheck, they may find it tempting to spend their funds a lot more on “wants” rather than “needs.” You can help by reminding them of the difference between the two and sharing the importance of saving. Whether it’s saving for unexpected expenses and emergencies or to eventually buy a car or home, encourage your young adult to put a set amount aside from every paycheck. You may also tell them to check with their employer and see if they can direct the savings portion of their paycheck directly into a savings account with only the remainder going to their checking account for spending.

Emphasize retirement contributions

New graduates hardly think about retirement. They’ve just entered the workforce – why would they need to think about an event that will impact them 40+ years from now? With rent, bills and other responsibilities, your young adult may choose not to contribute to their retirement right out of school. We all know that this is a mistake! This is your chance to emphasize how a long retirement time horizon can benefit them financially. Educate them about compounding growth in savings and encourage them to speak to their employer about any professional guidance offered. Emphasize to them that they have one of the greatest assets working for them at this age: time.

Teach them to follow a budget

Budgeting allows young adults to create a spending plan with their money. It’s a great way for them to track their expenses and see if they have enough to spend on the things they really enjoy. Budgeting can keep your young adult focused on their money goals and avoid any unnecessary financial hassle. If they become overwhelmed, share how you learned to live within your paycheck and show them that there are apps and online tools today that they can use – here are just a few examples.

Show them how to pay bills on time

As an independent adult, your child will need to take on lots of responsibility quickly. Perhaps this includes regularly paying a variety of bills (rent, cell phone, etc.). Keeping track of when bills are due can become cumbersome for those just starting out. Show your child that it’s crucial to stay on top of bills and pay them on time. Late payments and fees – and any outstanding interest on balances – will deplete their disposable income, leaving them less money to spend on entertainment and fun. Many apps and computer programs exist to help set reminders and automatic payments. Help your young adult look at the options and share any systems you use to manage monthly payments.

Help them build credit

Many college grads have not yet had a chance to establish a credit history. Educate them about how a credit score can impact their future. A good credit score can influence their ability to get car loans and mortgages approved. Their credit score can also impact the interest rates on these loans: A good credit score may lead to lower interest rates. Some employers use a credit check in their hiring process. Some insurance companies also use credit scores as part of their underwriting process as a person’s credit can be a predictor of insurance claims. To help your young adult build their credit score, encourage them to pay bills on time, avoid acquiring too much debt on any open credit cards, limit the number of credit cards used, and keep their oldest credit card open.

Now that your graduate is officially launched, use some of your time together to pass on good financial habits. Whether it’s dedicating a portion of every paycheck to savings or using an app to track spending, these tips may help your young adult to stay on top of their finances and develop good money habits that can last a lifetime.

Student loan has become a ‘necessary evil’ for most of the students, which help them to complete their education. In the present social and economic scenario, the education is a costly affair, of which financial expenses cannot be managed without a financial aid in the form of a scholarship or educational loan. Scholarship is reserved for exceptional students and educational loans will be the only resort for an average student to pursue his student loan. The student loan has the advantage of several relaxations in the terms and conditions than a standard loan. However it is essential that the student loan amount including the prescribed interest have to be repaid. The top 5 ways to help the repayment of the student loans are comprehended from the testimonials of the students, who are successful in student loan repayment.

It is a fact the student loan repayment will not be practically easy in the beginning years of ‘struggle of existence’. The student will get a grace period of 6 months to 9 months for the start of the loan repayment after the course completion, which varies according to the nature of the loan. But in the entry level jobs, it will be pretty hard to find the amount for the loan repayment. Proper financial management is the only possible solution to handle the crisis successfully. But it may not be easy to restrict the expenses in the early days, even though you are aware about the student loan and other liabilities. A budgeting will certainly help you to plan the situation well and it can be a winning strategy, if you have the necessary will power to act accordingly.

The negotiation with your debtors can be the next step. You can contact them directly to avail any adjustments in the repayment schedule or can switch on to a more convenient repayment plan. The repayment period has to be selected according to your capability to spare for the monthly installments. The lenders benefits and offers can be another helping hand to pay off the student loans. Now most of the lenders have put forwarded certain benefits and incentives for the loan repayments. The utilization of the relaxations in the interest rates and total debt is certainly advantageous to pay off the student debts.

If you have multiple debts, the best strategy is to consolidate the different loans to a single consolidation loan. Now, Federal consolidation loan is available, which will help to consolidate all federal loans, with certain pronounced advantages in the rates and terms of the loans. However, it will not consolidate the private loans. You have to seek any of the private consolidation loans to mange the private loans. If the multiple debts cannot be consolidated, then you have to pay off the loan with the higher interest rate. The regular follow up of such a strategy will certainly help to pay off the student loan easily.

In case of defaults in the repayment of the student loan, the rehabilitation programs of the lenders can be utilized as the way, which help to pay the student loan. In brief student loans can be compared to the common saying “slow and steady wins the race”. If you are able to start the repayment during the study using money from the vacation jobs or part time jobs, it will certainly help to pay the student loan early. Also, keep in mind that the extended repayment schedule is not advised in all cases as it will levy more money as interest. Hence a planned and intelligent strategy will be the best way to pay the student loan easily.

Many novice investors seek information regarding online investment opportunities. Of course, we all want an expert at our disposal. However, most of us cannot afford an expert. A wealth of knowledge is available on the internet for those of us who need the basics to get started. For many novice investors, it may be difficult to discern which sites offer credible information regarding investing. Our guide will discuss the information available for online investors.

Insider Trade Tips

Investors will research and find numerous sources of information regarding online investment opportunities. Investors may receive insider trader tips on a daily basis. This will help them determine which stocks are expected to perform well. Novice investors appreciate this type of advice. Often novice investors are not aware of how to predict which stocks will perform well based only upon news information or information about the business. These tips are especially useful when trading online without the direct help of an experienced investor. Trading software is also available to assist novice investors in making sound business decisions.

Investment Strategy Tips

Many websites offer individuals investment strategy tips on their website. The tips may be regarding stocks, bonds, Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs), commodities or other types of investments. Investors are given advice on how to invest in both a bull market and a bear market. The strategies are remarkably different. In a bear market, investors may tend toward safe investments with moderate growth. In bull markets, volatile investments may yield the most return on investment (ROI).

Online websites will also teach investors how to select sound investment opportunities. Market trends will be revealed to help investors make sound decisions regarding investing. Search for companies that offer investors free seminars and online forums. These webinars will teach investors the basics of investing.

Portfolio Diversification

Portfolio diversification strategies are also discussed online. Investors will be informed of the percentages that they should invest in various investments. For instance, experts recommend that approximately 35% of an investor’s portfolio be in precious metals. Precious metals are safe during a declining economy. The price of gold, for instance, rises when the economy is in decline. Investors should be aware of how to structure their portfolio to avoid catastrophic losses.

Investors will learn the difference between safe investments versus volatile investments. Mutual funds are an example of a safe investment. Stocks are a more volatile investment. The more volatile the stock, the more investors must watch the market to avoid losses. Recommended percentages of investments will be revealed through tips offered online. The information provided will be based on historical data, as well as, the current market state. Investors will learn how to identify opportunities, analyze investments, purchase investments and monitor investments.

Daily News and Streaming Quotes

Much of investing requires monitoring the daily news and predicting how political movements, business deals and the economy will affect a particular security. The financial status of a company and its leadership will also affect the stock prices. Acquisition of a new Chief Financial Officer, for instance, may signify growth and change within a company. This indicates that stock prices may increase. Therefore, investors could conclude to enter the market while the price is still low.

News sources that are offered real time are the best types of news sources. Investors will learn how various news releases will affect stocks. Investors should check new sources daily to determine how the news will affect their securities. Many websites offer DVDs to teach investors how to interpret news releases. Investors will find a wealth of knowledge that will move them forward in their investing career.

Market Analysis

Many online websites will analyze stocks and investments for investors. Websites are also available to select the top performers daily. These watch lists will help individuals make decisions with the help of experts who have knowledge of market trends. Other websites will offer daily stock picks to consumers. These individuals invest as a group, which seem to offer more security than investing alone.

A business services franchise is a good option for many who are willing to serve the corporate world. A business franchisee needs an investment in terms of fees, real estate, marketing, merchandise etc. there are both small business services as well as high cost businesses in the category. Here we discuss some prominent business services franchises.

Financial services: The financial services space is rapidly growing in India. It is one of the most significant business services in India. According to the latest Central Statistical Organisation (CSO) data, financial services, banking, insurance and real estate sectors have risen by 7.8 per cent in the third quarter of 2009-10. This displays the success of the financial service industry. With the over-all increase in the finance services seekers, finance service providers took to franchise route, thus creating a great scope for franchise opportunity.

Till a few years back, the franchising which was an unknown concept in this field has gained lot of momentum in the present times. Before discussing the factors responsible for this development, let us first get familiar with the term ‘Financial services franchisors’.

Financial services refer to services provided by the financial service companies. The finance service companies encompass a broad range of organisations that deal with money management. A few of these organisations include banks, insurance companies, consumer finance companies, stock brokerages, investment funds etc. These companies offer various services such as asset protection, investment and savings, retirement plans, customer-orientated service, besides offering personal loans, commercial loans, mortgage loans, and education loans for the aspiring students. Financial service providers are on the rise as franchising as a mode of expansion is being opted by this industry. Manish Shah, Associate Director- Business Strategy, Equity & Product Development, Motilal Oswal Securities Ltd shared, “The belief in entrepreneurship and the drive it brings to the business, made Motilal Oswal take the franchise route. Franchising brings more scalability to the business and the business becomes entrepreneur driven.”

Courier Services: Another category of business services is courier service. The companies basically work around transportation of goods from one place to another, delivery of documents, packages, and larger shipments of products. These provide services to companies and individuals who need rapid service, accountability, and tracking that regular mail does not accommodate. Courier services are more reliable and dependable as compared to ordinary postal services due to less time consumed and delivery guarantee. However, with the introduction of modern gadgets and faster modes of transportation this system has also progressed a lot. Moreover, franchising is also one of the main stimulants of its popularity and profitability.

Franchising in this sector has grown with more and more players taking the franchise model for reaching out to far flung areas in the vast nation. Courier service companies are required to deliever important mails and parcels to any part, whether city, town or village in the country. Therefore, franchising can be the best mode for guaranteed delivery of the items. According to DS Patel, Channel Head, DTDC, “Franchising is an essential and most effective way of expanding the network. Opening our own company owned courier offices is very expensive and time consuming. However a franchise outlet is economically beneficial to the company.” As informed by Praveen Govindraj, Assistant General Manager, First Flight Courier, “Franchising definitely helps in directly reaching to far-fling areas for delivering items due to our local partners in those areas.” He further added, “Franchising can be a win-win situation for both the franchisor and franchisees as both benefit from it. The local partner (franchisee) has a much better idea of a particular locality than the main company which is based out of Delhi or Mumbai. Delivering parcels to small towns and cities becomes difficult and also take a lot of time if it is done by the company in metropolitan areas. At such times the local franchisee can be of great help.” This can be the major reason for courier companies to opt for the franchise route. Moreover, having local partners all over the nation, who deliver all items on time, also increases the credibility and profit making of the parent company.

The typical feature of the courier service franchise includes doorstep booking, customer convenience and security of each and every consignment that has been entrusted to it. Jaguar Couriers Franchise, Blazeflash Couriers, etc are some of the franchising companies under this category.

Cartridge refilling: Cartridge refilling forms another business service category. In the modern age of I.T, there is a constantly growing need of cartridgere-fills. Foraying in the cartridge refill industry through franchise route is a promising venture. A cartridge refill franchise offers to its user’s quality refills at a fractional cost. Current industry trends and future projections suggest that printer cartridges demand will continue to multiply at a very fast pace as computers and low cost printers swamp the market. Cartridge World, Cartridge Café, Cartridge Xpress are some of the good low-cost franchise options.

Challenges

Every business has attached to it certain set of challenges. Though the basic challenges remain the same across the board for all business service franchises, their relevance with each sector differs.
Before opting for any of the above options, clear all your doubts. Apart from your initial investment, take into account the ongoing costs that must be paid to your franchisor, including franchise royalties, marketing fees and other required purchases. After you are convinced go ahead and make your mark in the franchising world!

I know everyone has a different idea of their dream home. I’m not talking about some 2 Million dollar castle, especially these days. Since the economy took a turn for the worse it has made me start thinking a little differently. Now is the time to start thinking a little smarter. Save should be every ones new motto. The future is unknown and it takes a lot of money just to get by these days.

Even if I had millions of dollars I would not be willing to splurge on a huge house. Having a huge house is just a waste of money, all the upkeep and property taxes along with the insurance just doesn’t make since. It is much wiser to live in a modest house and save all that money just in case things get tough. And of course you cant take it with you so it would be nice to have a large amount of cash to leave behind for the kids. Besides things are just going to get more and more expensive so you might as well save as much as you can while you can.

If you can get enough cash saved up you should be able to live off the interest, but saving that much cash is tough so maybe a better idea is to set yourself up so you can live for free or very close to it. There are ways to do this even though it is not the mainstream way of thinking it is very possible and easier than you may think. As a society in America consumers we are entirely too dependent on other people and the government to provide us with the things we need. For example food, water, electricity, clothes, fuel and just about everything else. This is why I have decided to do things a little different.

My idea of a dream home is a modern little 3 bed 3 bath sitting in the middle of 10 or so acres, covered in home made solar panels with some energy producing home made wind mills around too. It will have heated concrete floors down stairs, with a two story deck and a salt water swimming pool. We will have our own water well of course and it will be filtered with a water treatment system like one you can get from Ecowater or Rainsoft.

These water treatment systems filter all the water coming into your house so you get to bathe, wash your clothes with and drink pure water. They work on city water also. Who knows what is in the water with all the pollution going into our environment these days. If the power grid shuts off, the city wont be sending us any water anyway so its better to be proactive. I want the 10 acres so the kids will have a place to play and ride 4 wheelers, dirt bikes, horses, or whatever they want to do but mainly for a garden, chickens, and a few cows, in case times get real tough we will be able to have our own milk, eggs, veggies, fruit, and meat.

I know this sounds a little bit old fashion but things could go downhill pretty fast if anything major ever goes wrong. I’m not preaching a dooms day scenario, just thinking about how to be on the safe side and retire with a lot of money. Think about it, if you didn’t have to pay an electric bill every month for the rest of your life how much more money you could be saving. Lets just say an extra $300 a month to be on the conservative side. That’s a savings of $3,600 a year, $36,000 every 10 years. Plus no water bill. With purified water in the home you can save a lot of money using pure soap because its cheap, but the catch is pure soap doesn’t work very well in hard water so you have to have a water treatment system. You also save money by not having to buy bottled water and therefor not sending as much plastic to our landfills and reducing your carbon footprint.

I have also sold my big fancy new car and SUV, taken what I had left over after paying the bank note off and bought an older pickup for me and a little car for my wife. I paid about $2,500 each for them and they are paid for. That alone is saving me about $700 a month in car payments, and I can have cheap liability insurance. There is another $8,400 a year I am saving. Those are just a few of the ways you can save money if you put your mind to it. I hope this has inspired you to think about the future and start saving some money.

Looking for Loan Management Software (LMS)? Here are three things to focus on when selecting one for your business:

1. How much are you willing to pay?

2. Why does your business need a Loan Management Software?

3. What features does your business require in a Loan Management Software?

To help you answer these questions, here is our guide on how to choose the right Loan Management Software for your business.

What is Loan Management Software?

As its name suggests, Loan Management Software was originally designed to help lenders build and maintain relationships with new and existing customers who have borrowed cash. Today, however, Loan Management Software has evolved from a simple contact management system into a robust tool that lets you manage leads, customers, sales, marketing, call centres, scoring, under-writing, payment processing, reconciliation, accounting, backend processing and other types of transactional and operational data, all in one easily accessible solution.

It can also integrate data from other areas of your business without any additional work. A Loan Management software gives lenders and their sales teams all the tools necessary to grow your business in a central hub with the least amount of work possible.

How much does a Loan Management Software cost?

The cost of LMS varies greatly. LMS Providers typically use a transaction-based pricing model, which can depend on a variety of factors, such as the number of active loans and the payment processed.

For the most part, you can expect to pay on a per-transaction, per-month basis or one-time cost depending on the model. You may also come across providers that charge a flat monthly fee but require larger packages or extra fees for support & maintenance. Pricing can range from $1 per transaction per month to hundreds of dollars per month, depending on your business’ unique needs.

Don’t have a budget for LMS software? Or maybe you’re not sure that LMS software is right for your business, but would like to see what it has offer? One option is to schedule a demo of a few LMS Solutions in the market or try a free trial if offered by any of the vendors.

Do you need Loan Management Software?

LMS can make your life as a lender much easier, while also helping your agents and managers get the job done in a more efficient and streamlined way.

If the following statements apply to you, your business needs Loan Management Software:

1. You need a robust Contact management.

At its core, contact management part of the LMS is all about keeping information from various sources organized. If you’re looking for a better way to store and manage customer information, LMS is the best solution for your business. It acts as an entire database for all types of insights on customers, including contact information, loan applications, loan and transaction histories, how customers browse your website, ways and times they’ve applied a loan with your company, demographics, interests, personal preferences and more. You can then use this information to segment customers for marketing purposes or to easily search for customers who fit specific criteria.

2. You’re looking for an automated way to boost sales.

LMS doesn’t just keep your contacts organized – it also offers a bevy of tools to help you boost sales and execute more effective marketing campaigns. These include:

Lead Generation. Find new customers by automatically taking-in leads from various sources like social media, website visitors, lead providers, inbound calls, newsletter sign-ups and more.

Email Marketing. Automatically build email lists, launch email marketing campaigns and measure performance. Loan Management Software can also send email reminders to customers and prospects to drive sales – for instance, by reminding them of abandoned loan applications, suggesting loan products or promotions that they may be interested in and other ways to make up for missed sales opportunities.

3. You’re looking for an automated way to funnel your leads

A robust LMS doesn’t allow you to work on leads, thereby wasting your precious time. It integrates a configurable under-writing engine that does the first level of filtering your quality leads.

Under-writing. Qualify and filter leads automatically with pre-defined set of rules or criteria (Under-writing), so that, you only have to spend of quality leads when they are sent to Credit Bureaus for Scoring.

Scoring. From a lenders perspective, just qualifying leads is not enough to accept the leads because every lead is associated with a certain cost. The leads need to be scored for various criteria before they are accepted. There are various Credit Bureaus in the market that allows the leads to be scored and sometimes, the leads should pass through multiple Bureaus’ Verifications before they are accepted. A good LMS should allow such integrations of multiple Credit Bureaus to score leads and sometimes with an option to define order in which they should pass through each Credit Bureaus

Verification. Now that, we have the quality leads that need to be verified. Only at this point that, your Agents start calling the leads and go through various verification steps of Loan Application. A flexible Loan Management Software lets you define the verification process, call queue, agent allocation to different type of leads, auto originate loans for good leads etc. Any lead that passes this verification is ready for approval upon the customer signing the Electronic Loan Agreement.

4. You’re looking to streamline the Loan Approval Process

Loan Agreement. The Electronic Loan Agreement binds the customers with the lender. Any lender’s choice would be to have multiple loan agreements for different loan types or products and the ability to add or truncate rules based on the lending rules of each state.

E-sign. Any lead that passes this verification is ready for approval upon the customer signing the Electronic Loan Agreement, which is called E-Sign. A good Loan Management Software either has an inbuilt E-Sign mechanism or allows to integrate with E-Sign Services like DocuSign or HelloSign. In-built mechanism obviously reduces the cost while integration allows you to use the service of your choice for E-Sign Process.

Loan Approval. The moment customer signs the E-Sign Document, the Loan Application sent to the Agent’s Manager for Approval. In case of a good lead, if an auto-origination process is defined in the Loan Management Software, the Loan Application is automatically approved and is ready to be funded. Other Loan Applications are approved by the Agent’s Manager and on approval and goes for funding.

5. You’re looking to automate payment processing

Payment Processing. Once the loan is approved, it will be ready for funding. The funding can happen immediately or at the end of each day. An efficient Loan Management Software should be capable of defining when and how the funding should happen every. Usually, the payments are processed through ACH Providers. The Loan Management Software can integrate one or multiple ACH providers based on lender specifics.

Return Processing. Receiving returns from the bank or payment processors and updating them in the LMS can be quite a tedious task. The returned transaction must be charged with an NSF Fee or a Late Fee, which has to be notified to the customer. The LMS you choose should have the ability to automatically process this information.

Collection. Collections are a part of any lending portfolio. Non-performing loans may be handed over to collection agencies by the lenders. This follows a set of rules that varies based on the state and lender. The LMS you choose should have the means to accommodate the rules and should be flexible enough to change at any point of time.

Choosing the right Loan Management Software

Ready to invest in Loan Management software? There are many different types available, so choosing the right one is the key to making it work for your lending business. Here’s what a lender need to ask a potential LMS Provider

1. Is it built for your market and loan types?
2. How easy is it to use? Can I easily train employees?
3. How customizable is the software?
4. What features are available to help me with sales, marketing and other aspects of my business?
5. How easy is it to integrate with third-party providers I already use?
6. What limitations are there to using the software?
7. What engagement models and costing options available? Are there any setup or additional fees? What if I need to expand my portfolio?
8. What type of security features does it have to protect my business’s and customers’ data? What happens if there is an outage? How is my data backed up in the cloud, and can I access it immediately?
9. If I need help, what type of customer service do you offer? Can I reach you any time, or is there a long turnaround period?